Love in its Darkest Black
by WiseLittleOwl
Summary: When Ivy is given a task by the Dark lord, she must try to accomplish it, while Draco fights for the opportunity to be Voldemort's right-hand-man and for Ivy's love. Can he have both?
1. Chapter 1

"IVY!" Bellatrix bellowed. Her voice echoed through the many twisting corridors of Malfoy Mansion. Ivy spun her head around in the direction the voice was coming from; her long black hair swishing over her face. Removing the hair strands from her face with her slender fingers, she stood up from packing her trunk and exited her room, leaving the double oak doors open a bit. Hurrying down the corridor, her dark purple robes swaying behind her, Ivy pushed aside another set of double doors and entered a sitting room decorated in dark green and silver. Obviously the Malfoy's way of showing their pride for their house.

"Yes?" Ivy said standing in front of Bellatrix. Examining the people around her, she noticed Narcissa and Lucius standing off to the side with a tall boy. He had platinum blonde hair and inky eyes that bore into her, almost seeing straight through her. He had a nasty scowl on his face that twitched whenever he glanced over to the arm chair in the corner. Turning to see what caused such dislike, she noticed a pale man with deep red eyes and a mouthless, eyeless face. He was dressed in midnight black robes that twirled in the breeze when he stood and almost glided over to Ivy.

Holding her breath, she turned to face Bellatrix but closed her eyes. He could feel the tip of Voldemort's wand pressed against her collar bone, his breath running down her neck, forcing the small hairs there to stand stick straight. "You will enter their hearts and minds…learn their souls…kill them," the latter was whispered in a snake-like tone that made Ivy's skin crawl. She caught her breath and nodded. When the tip of the wand was removed from contact with her skin, she looked towards Bellatrix who gave a nod in the direction of the double doors Ivy had previously entered through. Ivy began a slow walk towards the doors when a hand grabbed her wrist forcefully, pulling her out of the room and into the corridor. The double doors slamming shut.

"Good luck," a smooth but icy voice said in her ear, chilling her whole body. When Icy turned, she saw Draco standing with his usual scowl. After moments of eye contact, Draco walked briskly from her, disappearing behind a corner and then a loud slam signaled Draco had entered his room.

Ivy stood, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened in the past few minutes. Her new task, everything that was about to make sense of what had happened. Why the Dark Lord chose her, she didn't know but there had to be a reason. Ivy looked down at her arm; she feared soon a skull would be where her vein was currently visible.

Ivy shut and locked her trunk and turned to see her desk. All her books were packed, her parchment and quill sets, and all of her materials. She felt inside her boot to ensure her wand was slid inside. Patting her trunk she stood up and began rolling it out of her room. She was about to reach the stairs when something caught on her trunk.

Tripping, she fell onto her back. Eyes clenched in pain, she felt her side, a bruise would definitely form by tomorrow. "What's wrong with you?" that same icy voice said. Opening her eyes, Ivy saw Draco dressed in black robes, the usual scowl on his face. Standing up she turned to respond to Draco but he was already lifting his trunk over her head and heading down the stairs. He pushed his way past Lucius and headed into another room. Deeply inhaling and exhaling, Ivy pushed her hair behind her ear and headed down the stairs. She turned into the same room that Draco had gone into. He was slouched in a chair, his hand on his forehead, clearly upset.

"What's got your wand in a knot?" Ivy said with a smirk. Draco glared at her with a small growl. "Fine, fine," she said holding her hands up in defeat. Ivy looked down at her hands which were twiddling with a piece of the carpet.

Draco put his hand down and looked down. Looking back up, he straightened up. "Do you really think you will succeed?" he snarled. Ivy looked up in surprise. Not trying to hide the hurt in her eyes. "Do you really think you can do what he asks and actually do it right? You don't deserve this opportunity. You aren't even one of them!" Draco shoved his sleeve up revealing the Dark Mark. Ivy tried not to look at the tattoo but couldn't help herself. Hearing footsteps approaching, Draco covered up his arm again and walked back towards his trunk. Ivy, still in awe, remained sitting and playing with the carpet. Lucius, Bellatrix, and Narcissa entered the room.

With authority, Narcissa spoke, "It's time."

Draco and Ivy nodded and lined up for all of them (excluding Bellatrix) to enter the fireplace.


	2. Chapter Two

"Draco, remember that you must shield and cover for Ivy whenever she requires it. I'm serious. Don't give me that look," Narcissa said in a stern voice, pointing her finger in Draco's voice. Draco snarled and turned from his mother, boarding the train. Ivy gave a small nod to Narcissa and Lucius before boarding the train. They returned the gesture and the turned to leave the platform.

Ivy slid between two fourth years that were standing in the corridor, chatting about their summer and what boys they had recently snogged. Rolling her eyes, Ivy squeezed through and then turned to see Draco, Pansy, and Millicent sitting together, discussing what family parties they had attended in the past few months. Ivy sat down next to Millicent and they all stared at her. Pansy coughed and looked at Draco with a puzzled expression. "Some foster kid my parents are sheltering for the year," he explained. _Sheltering? _The word made Ivy feel as if she was a hound thrown into a kennel. Ivy looked down at her hands and tried her best to sit unnoticed by the other slytherins.

"So," Pansy started, looking in Ivy's direction. Ivy glanced up to realize she was now the topic of discussion. _Great…_

"Yes?" Ivy asked, trying to keep the edge off her voice. She never liked Pansy.

"Draco says you're a foster kid? Why didn't you mention that in the past?" Pansy had a smirk on her face that screamed evil.

"Because it's none of you damn business."

"Fiesty!" Pansy said with a giggle. Millicent smirked and threw her head back, as if she were laughing.

"Come off it," Draco murmured. Pansy looked at Draco as if she had been slapped.

"E-excuse me?" Pansy stammered, clearly bewildered. Draco just gave her a look that said _don't mess with me. _Pansy straightened herself out in her seat and then proceeded to look down at her feet.

The rest of the ride to Hogwarts was quiet. Pansy and Millicent occasionally shared glances that revealed their dislike for Ivy but other than that, no one spoke. Draco was the most silent. He just looked out the window. A hand on his forehead. When he breathed, a bit of frost covered the window. Ivy looked at him every once and a while as if to ensure he was in fact still there.

When they arrived at Hogsmead Station, Draco ran off the train as if a plague had just boarded. Ivy looked after him in utter confusion. First he helps her, now he can't wait to get away from her. "Whatever," she whispered to herself.

"What was that?" Pansy asked in her most venomous voice. Ivy just shook her head and carried her bag and herself off the train.

Ivy knew that it was wrong of her to skip the big feast in the Great Hall but she really wasn't feeling up to it. Upon entering the castle, she told Sprout she had to use the bathroom and parted from the crowd. Ivy headed up to the library and checked to see if Madam Pince was at her post. All clear. Ivy dropped her school bag by one of the desks and stuck her hands in her pockets under her cloak. She had been too lazy to change into the uniform so she just fastened her cloak and hoped that would conceal her jeans and tank top. Ivy thought about Draco's task from his parents to protect her. Was her absence from dinner causing Draco to panic that he had already failed? Ivy just exhaled and sat at the desk, resting her head in her palm. Ivy contemplated her task with the new school year and, dare she admit, her competence to succeed. The weight that stuck to her shoulders made her feel unbalanced, that she could fall at any moment.

After checking the clock on Pince's desk about thirty times, Ivy decided to go join the feast. She had nothing better to do and her hunger outweighed her reluctance to see all those smiling Hogwartian faces. Feeling as if she was going to get teeth pulled, Ivy left the library and headed down to the Great Hall.

When she entered, no one noticed. A head didn't so much as turn towards the doors. That made it easier for her to slip into an empty spot at the Slytherin table. Sitting down, she grabbed a helping of pie and a sweet roll and began to eat. Ivy wished she had just gone to the feast so she could eat the delicious meal in entirety. When she finished her pie, about everyone was in the Hall had finished and Dumbledore dismissed the students to bed.

Ivy entered the common room and looked around for Draco. He was in a chair, reading a book she didn't recognize. Ivy approached him. Pulling up a seat next to him, she began, "Draco, I don't know what to do…"

"Of course you don't. You have no clue what you're doing and because you are so ignorant you can't possibly succeed."

"Gee, thanks," Ivy said with a hurt expression. Draco sighed and shut his book angrily.

"I can't help you. If I do, Voldemort will know you didn't do it and he will punish you for not following his orders. Trust me, I know." Ivy just stared at Draco. The whole experience of being a Death Eater had clearly taken its toll on Draco. Upon closer examination, he looked tired, his eyes blood shot. He didn't look like himself. Ivy placed a hand on his arm and gave a small squeeze before standing up and turning in for bed.

The next day, Ivy woke up to Draco standing over her. "What the hell are you doing in here?" Ivy asked pulling the blanket up to her neck. All she had worn to bed was a tank top and a pair of boxers. "Get the hell out!" She yelled throwing a pillow at him. Draco held his hands up in surrender before speaking.

"Fine," he said. "Be late for class."

_Shit! _Ivy pushed the blankets off, not caring what he saw and dived for clothes. How could she be late on her first day? "Why aren't you in class?" Ivy asked.

"Free period," he said. He continued to stand there, smirking at Ivy's misfortune.

"You can leave now!" she said pulling a skirt up and an old shirt over her head. Quickly brushing out her hair, she grabbed her bag and darted out of the common room, up to transfiguration. Ivy could hear Draco laughing behind her but she just tuned him out and burst through the classroom doors.

All the students turned to the disturbance. _Great, now you notice me. _A few snickers surfaced among the students. "How nice of you to join us, Ms. Barns." Ivy turned bright red before she could even explain her late arrival. "Well, any excuse to entertain me with?"

"W-well, I was…um…" Ivy stammered for a good excuse, even possibly believable but nothing came to her. She just continued looking around at the students smirking up at her. The doors behind her opened and Draco came striding in with a triumphant smile.

"She was with my professor. We were cleaning up a potion that I had brewed that went horribly wrong. No one was hurt but it made a mess."

Ivy turned to stare at Draco with amazement. He'd stuck up for her twice in the past twenty four hours. That must be a record. Draco gave a slight bow and exited the room, while giving me an arrogant look. Looking over to McGonagall, I noticed she had gone back to her work, clearly as confused as me, and the rest of the students followed suit. Ivy slid into her seat and took out her parchment and quill, copying the words on the board.

Throughout the lesson, Ivy mindlessly copied the words but her mind was elsewhere. She thought of Draco covering for her, like his parents told him to but not in the way she expected. What was she doing? She kept her mind on pointless things like Draco covering for her for over sleeping instead of thinking about how she was going to complete the task. Ivy was beginning to think she wasn't even sure what the task was…


End file.
